I was stopped from attending Lingayat rallies, says Katti

He uses a derogatory term against BJP leaders who restrained him

Bharatiya Janata Party MLA and Lingayat leader Umesh Katti has kicked up a political controversy by alleging that his party leaders had prevented him from attending rallies that sought separate religion status for Lingayats. He also used a derogatory term to describe the BJP leaders who had stopped him from going to the rallies, though he did not specify who the leaders were.

He was speaking to presspersons at his home in Bellada Bagewadi on Friday. “I was born a Lingayat and will die a Lingayat. I do not consider myself a Hindu. [If anyone asks me] I will say I am a Lingayat. I wanted to attend these rallies. But some leaders in the BJP asked me not to go. That is why I didn’t go,” he said.

Five mega rallies have been held in Karnataka and Maharashtra till now. Another one is scheduled in Vijayapura on Sunday.

Later, he clarified that he did not use the derogatory word on purpose. “I didn’t say that to insult or hurt anyone. It is a commonly used word in the villages here. I used it without intending to be hurtful,” he said.

He rubbished media reports that he would join the Congress. “I will not go. I will stay in the BJP. I keep meeting Congress leaders, including Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. But it doesn’t mean I will join the Congress,” he said.

Political observers say his recent remarks should not be seen as a sign of his leaving the BJP to join the Congress. They said it was his customary style of speaking, and he is not bothered about controversies arising out of his statements.

The six-time MLA from Hukkeri has spent a long time in public life. He became MLA after the death of his father, Vishwanath Katti, an MLA from Janata Parivar in 1984. Mr. Umesh Katti won the 1985 Assembly election at the age of 25. He has won all Assembly polls held since then, except in 2004.

Mr. Katti has also been in and out of parties. He was elected from Janata Party, Janata Dal, Janata Dal (Secular) and the Congress. He now represents the BJP.

He is no stranger to controversies as in 2012, he floated the idea of a separate north Karnataka state with Goa and parts of Maharashtra and Belagavi as its capital. A few days later, he added to the controversy by saying he was dreaming of dividing the state as he wanted to see his son as the Chief Minister of that new state.

(Eom)